Toilet tank flush valve



Dec. 15, 1970 w, E, WUSTNER 3,546,715

TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Filed oct. 21, 1968 60 l 53 )Mew/n ff f7 54 5yp51 #Wa/4M f. Wwf/Vm, l

United States Patent O "ice 3,546,715 TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE William E.Wustner, 421 Sylvania Ave., Glenside, Pa. 19038 Filed Oct. 21, 1968,Ser. No. 769,335 Int. Cl. E03d 1/34 U.S. Cl. 4-67 7 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Thisinvention relates to adjustable toilet tank ush valves and moreparticularly to such valves with manual adjustment to provide reduceddischarge from the tank if desired, and also with a control element topermit of full tank discharge if desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART In some areas and at some seasons of theyear water shortages are serious and it is desirable to conserve waterto the maximum extent.

Various valves have heretofore been proposed to control the tankdischarge so as to reduce unnecessary discharge of water from the toilettank.

In my prior Patents Nos. 3,324,482 and 3,331,084 adjustable valves areshown in which the adjustment is made at the valve ball which controlsthe water delivery with provisions at the operating handle to selectfull discharge or reduced discharge as desired. These structures werehowever relatively complex to construct and assemble.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention anadjustable toilet tank flush valve is provided, with a simple Ibuteffective adjustable venting control valve at the handle and selectormember at the handle to render the venting control valve ineifective ifdesired.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide aselectively operable toilet tank flush valve for partial or completetoilet tank discharge which is simple in construction but effective inoperation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet tankflush valve of the character aforesaid which can be readily installed ontoilets now in use and which may be used on new installations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet tankflush valve in which the operating handle has built thereinto anadjustable air flow control valve to limit the tank discharge and whichhas associated therewith a slidable control element for rendering theair flow valve ineffective and thereby permitting complete discharge ofthe toilet tank.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will beapparent from the description and claims.

scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings formingpart thereof, in which:

3,546,715 Patented Dec. 15, 1970 FIG. l is a view partly in elevationand partly in vertical section of a toilet flush tank having a preferredembodiment of the present invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately onthe line 2 2 of FIG. 1, and showing the setting for partial toilet tankdischarge;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG.2, showing the setting for complete tank discharge; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the adjustable valve positionedfor cut of of air flow.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modilications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, a toilet Hush tank 10 is shown having a rear wall 11, afront wall 12, side walls 13 and a bottom wall 14.

A fitting 15 of well known type is provided having a threaded section 16held in place by a nut 17 engaging a washer 18 and having a deliverypipe 19 communicating with the hopper (not shown) of the toilet, belowthe Ivalve seat 20.

The fitting 15 has an upright overow pipe 22 of well known type carriedthereby and connected below the valve seat 20 for discharge.

The tank 10 can have a water supply valve 26 with a water delivery pipe27 carried thereby and controlled by a oat 28 in a well known manner,with a hush tube 29 extending down into the overflow pipe 22.

The fitting 15, as shown in FIG. 1, has a hollow valve ball 30, ofrubber or the like, with a liexible carrying and seating plate 31engageable with the valve seat 20 hingedly carried on a mounting ring onthe pipe 22. The ball 30 has an opening 35 in the bottom thereof topermit the entry of water to the interior, depending on its venting, anddischarge of water from the interior.

A valve ball actuator comprising a chain 37 for raising the seatingplate 31 from the valve seat 20, is connected at its upper end to alever 40.

The lever 40 is secured to a shaft 411 on which a handle 42 is mountedfor manual actuation.

The shaft 41 is carried within a sleeve 44 which has an enlarged head 45engaging the exterior of the front wall 12 and a threaded portion 46.

The sleeve 44 is held in place by a nut 47 which engages the threadedportion 46 and the interior of the wall 12.

The shaft 41 has secured therein the shank 49 of a valve body 50.

The valve body 50 has an internally threaded bore 51 with an enlargedouter end 52 for the reception of the threaded shank 53 of a screw 54which serves as an adjustable valve plug. The screw 54 has a head 55which is received in the end bore 52 and a transverse valve passageway56 is controlled by the positioning of the screw shank 53. The screwhead has a slot 57 for manual adjustment by a screwdriver.

The valve body 50` has an external cylindrical portion 58 with anoutwardly extending terminal flange 59.

A slidable control member 60 in the form of a knob is carried on thecylindrical portion 58 and has an internal shoulder 61 for engagementwith the flange 59 to limit the outward movement thereof. The controlmember 60` in its outer portion, as shown in FIG. 2, exposes the Valvepassageway 56 and in its inner position as shown in FIG. 3 closes thepassageway 56.

The valve body 50 has extending therefrom, through a bore 63, in theshaft 41, a flexible vent tube 64 which extends to the interior of thevalve ball 30 for venting air therefrom.

The Inode of operation will now be pointed out.

Assuming that the flush tank is filled with water to a level determinedby the float 28, the handle `42 can be turned to ush the toilet.`

It' it is desired to deliver the entire contents ot the tank 10 thecontrol knob 60, prior to turning the handle 42, is moved inwardly tothe position shown in FIG. 3 to close the passageway 56.

Upon turning the handle 42 and the shaft 41 to which it is connected thelever 40 through the chain 37 will raise the valve ball 30 from its seat20 and permit water to be discharged through the fitting in aconventional manner.

The valve ball 30 will be buoyed up in the usual `manner and will fallwith the falling water level in the tank 10. The valve ball 30 will notbe vented and will'retain its maximum buoyancy.

If it is desired to discharge only part of the contents of the tank 10and thereby conserve Water, the control knob 60 is moved outwardly tothe position shown in FIG. 2, prior to turning the handle 42.

Upon turning of the handle 42 the valve ball 30 is raised from its seatas before. The valve ball 30 will, by reason of the positioning of thecontrol knob 60 with respect to the valve passageway 56, have airdischarged therefrom through the vent pipe 64, the bore 51 and thepassageway 56.

At the same time, and dependent upon the setting of the shank 53 withrespect to the passageway 56, water will enter the valve ball throughthe opening 35, and reduce the buoyancy of the valve ball 30. The valveball 30 will thus move to closed position and engage the seat 20 beforethe entire contents of the tank 10 has been discharged.

The positioning of the shank 53 with respect to the passageway 56permits of adjusting the rate of venting of the valve ball 30 and thusthe rate of delivery of water into the interior of the valve ball 30 toreduce its buoyancy.

The position as shown in FIG. 3 is for non-venting and full discharge ofwater from the tank 110.

After the valve ball 30 has been seated on the valve seat 20 any Watertherein will be drained out through the drain opening so that upon thenext actuation of the handle 42 either maximum or limited flushing canbe selected and carried out.

Upon the completion of the desired flushing action water will besupplied to the tank 10 through the water supply valve 26 to bring thelevel in the tank 10 to that determined by the float 28.

It will thus be seen that simple but effective apparatus has beenprovided for carrying out the objects and purposes of the invention.

I claim:

1. A toilet flush valve construction comprising a discharge valve ttinghaving a seat,

a valve member for engagement with said seat and having a hollowinterior portion and an opening in the bottom thereof,

manually operable members for moving said valve member from said seatincluding an actuating member connected to said valve member and anangularly swingable handle member connected to said actuating member andmeans for controlling the buoyancy of said valve member,

said means including an air vent connection to the interior of saidvalve member and extending through said handle member, and

members for controlling the delivery of water from the tank into theinterior of said valve member,

said last members including an adjustable air vent valve in said airvent connection and carried by said handle member,

said air vent valve controlling a discharge passageway portion of saidair Vent connection terminating at said handle member and an exteriorlyaccessible movable control member car-y ried by said handle member andselectively movable thereon to a position to close said dischargepassageway and render said air vent valve ineffective.

2. A toilet flush valve as defined in claim 1, in which said manuallyoperable members include a shaft to which said handle member and saidactuating member are connected, and said air vent valve is carried bysaid shaft. 3. A toilet flush valve as defined in claim 2, in which saidair vent has a valve body carried by said shaft with a threaded membertherein,

said valve body has said discharge passageway therein and saidpassageway is controlled by the positioning of said threaded member withrespect thereto, and

said movable control member is slidably mounted on said valve body andis movable thereon with respect to said discharge passageway forselectively opening or closing said discharge passageway.

4. A toilet ush valve as defined in claim 3, in which said air ventconnection has a portion disposed in said shaft and communicating withsaid valve body.

5. A toilet flush valve as defined in claim 1, in which said air ventvalve includes a threaded member rotatable for venting adjustment.

6. A toilet flush valve as defined in claim 5, in which said air ventvalve has a valve body with a threaded member therein, and

said valve body has a vent passageway controlled by the positioning ofsaid threaded member with respect to said passageway.

7. A toilet ush valve as defined in claim 6, in which said controlmember is lmounted on said valve body and is movable thereon forselectively opening or closing said discharge passageway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,365,730 l/1968 Chiappetta4-67(A) LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner R. I. SMITH, AssistantExaminer

